Rockfall Modeling and Attenuator Testing

摘要

Two rockfall attenuator designs were constructed and tested in a valley near Rifle, CO. The first device was based on railroad ties hanging from a cable and the second device used tires mounted on rims and stacked over pipes which were hung from a cable. Both of these devices were designed, not to stop the rocks but to slow them down to a point where they would not be a hazard. The devices were tested by rolling rocks, weighing between 500 and 6000 pounds, down the slope. The tests provided needed data for further design of such rockfall attenuators and validation of the rockfall model developed by the Colorado School of Mines and the department. The rockfall computer program, which simulates rocks tumbling down a slope, predicts the statistical distribution of speed and bounce height, and can be use for locating and designing rock fall barriers. The model takes into account the slope profile, rebound and friction characteristics of the slope, and spinning energy of the rocks. Both spherically and disk shaped rock can be simulated.